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Groups > comp.lang.python > #90492

Re: anomaly

From Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu>
Subject Re: anomaly
Date 2015-05-12 16:23 -0400
References (7 earlier) <5550a1d4$0$13013$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <5550B0CF.208@rece.vub.ac.be> <CAPTjJmpHqXJz-DsJHxy9Vc8eg7uOVY6QCVuV1KHy8wZrc=EH2g@mail.gmail.com> <mailman.391.1431431746.12865.python-list@python.org> <55520685$0$12984$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Message-ID <mailman.416.1431462248.12865.python-list@python.org> (permalink)

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On 5/12/2015 9:56 AM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:

> The consensus among the core developers is:
>
> * in general, the harm and inconvenience from accidentally
>    shadowing built-ins is not great, and it usually easy to
>    spot, debug and prevent;
>
> * when it comes to built-in functions (e.g. sum, map, pow)
>    and types (e.g. int, str, list) there are significant and
>    important use-cases for allowing shadowing;
>
>    (e.g. the built-in sum function shouldn't prevent other
>    modules from providing their own sum function)
>
> * but when it comes to None, True and False, there are no
>    significant or important use-cases for shadowing (it is
>    almost always a bug, not a feature, to redefine None).
>
> The general principle here is of consenting adults: Python allows you to
> shadow built-ins because sometimes it is useful, and the good outweighs the
> potential harm. There are a handful of exceptions to that general principle
> (e.g. None, True, False, I can't think of any others) because in those
> cases the harm (as tiny as it is) outweighs the good.

Having followed Python development for 18 years, I think this is a fair 
summary.



-- 
Terry Jan Reedy

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Thread

Re: anomaly Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2015-05-10 10:42 -0600
  Re: anomaly Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-05-10 09:48 -0700
    Re: anomaly Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2015-05-10 18:21 +0100
    Re: anomaly Gary Herron <gherron@digipen.edu> - 2015-05-10 10:28 -0700
      Re: anomaly Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2015-05-11 13:19 +1000
    Re: anomaly boB Stepp <robertvstepp@gmail.com> - 2015-05-10 14:12 -0500
      Re: anomaly Mel Wilson <mwilson@the-wire.com> - 2015-05-11 13:37 +0000
        Re: anomaly Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2015-05-12 02:35 +1000
          Re: anomaly Mel Wilson <mwilson@the-wire.com> - 2015-05-11 20:48 +0000
            Re: anomaly Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2015-05-12 12:18 +1000
    Re: anomaly Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2015-05-11 08:40 +0100
    Re: anomaly Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-11 17:44 +1000
    Re: anomaly Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2015-05-11 12:15 +0200
      Re: anomaly John Ladasky <john_ladasky@sbcglobal.net> - 2015-05-12 17:47 -0700
        Re: anomaly Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-05-12 17:56 -0700
          Re: anomaly Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2015-05-12 19:16 -0700
            Re: anomaly Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-05-12 19:31 -0700
    Re: anomaly Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2015-05-11 11:40 +0100
    Re: anomaly Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2015-05-11 13:39 +0200
      Re: anomaly Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-05-11 14:58 +0300
        Re: anomaly Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2015-05-11 15:27 +0200
          Re: anomaly Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-05-11 17:03 +0300
            Re: anomaly zipher <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2015-05-11 07:56 -0700
              Re: anomaly Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2015-05-11 20:32 -0400
            Re: anomaly Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2015-05-12 13:34 +0200
          Re: anomaly Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2015-05-12 01:44 +1000
            Re: anomaly zipher <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2015-05-11 09:17 -0700
            Re: anomaly Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2015-05-11 20:33 -0400
            Re: anomaly Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2015-05-12 14:31 +0200
      Re: anomaly Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2015-05-11 22:34 +1000
        Re: anomaly Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2015-05-11 15:38 +0200
        Re: anomaly Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-12 00:13 +1000
        Re: anomaly Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2015-05-12 17:37 +1200
        Re: anomaly Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2015-05-12 13:55 +0200
          Re: anomaly Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2015-05-12 23:56 +1000
            Re: anomaly zipher <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2015-05-12 08:34 -0700
              Re: anomaly Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-13 01:43 +1000
                Re: anomaly zipher <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2015-05-12 20:39 -0700
              Re: anomaly Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2015-05-12 17:19 +0100
                Re: anomaly zipher <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2015-05-13 08:19 -0700
              Re: anomaly Skip Montanaro <skip.montanaro@gmail.com> - 2015-05-12 11:22 -0500
                Re: anomaly Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2015-05-13 13:58 +1000
              Re: anomaly Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2015-05-12 12:07 -0600
            Re: anomaly Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2015-05-12 16:23 -0400
            Re: anomaly Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2015-05-13 09:07 +0200
          Re: anomaly Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2015-05-13 12:19 +1200
            Re: anomaly Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2015-05-13 09:23 +0200
        Re: anomaly Gary Herron <gherron@digipen.edu> - 2015-05-12 09:07 -0700
    Re: anomaly Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2015-05-11 12:47 +0100
    Re: anomaly boB Stepp <robertvstepp@gmail.com> - 2015-05-11 07:43 -0500
    Re: anomaly boB Stepp <robertvstepp@gmail.com> - 2015-05-11 07:26 -0500
  Re: anomaly zipher <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2015-05-10 17:48 -0700
    Re: anomaly Gary Herron <gherron@digipen.edu> - 2015-05-10 18:07 -0700
      Re: anomaly zipher <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2015-05-10 18:18 -0700
        Re: anomaly Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-11 11:53 +1000
          Re: anomaly zipher <dreamingforward@gmail.com> - 2015-05-10 19:09 -0700
          Re: anomaly Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-05-10 19:12 -0700
            Re: anomaly Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-11 12:20 +1000
        Re: anomaly BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-05-11 12:55 +0100

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